Disposable package for liquid, pasty or powder product

ABSTRACT

Packaging for packaging a substance in a leakproof protective cover includes a protective cover having two parts of separable leakproof material containing an applicator fixed to the inside face of one of the two parts. A portion of fiber, sponge, or analogous structure in which the substance is distributed is contained within the applicator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to single-use packaging for a liquid, semiliquid,or powder substance. The invention makes it easier in particular toapply a cosmetic, medical, or antiseptic composition, and moreparticularly any composition for application to the skin.

When traveling or engaging in sport, it can be desirable to have acosmetic, medical, or antiseptic substance available that is packagedfor use on a single occasion, with packaging being discardable afteruse.

For example, pieces of toweling soaked in eau de cologne or the like areknown that are packaged between two sheets of flexible leakproofmaterial. The user needs to extract the toweling from the leakproofpouch after opening it. The pouch therefore needs to be handled in orderto be used. That concept is therefore not suitable for being transposedto packaging any kind of substance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to packaging enabling any kind of substance to bepackaged, including a greasy cosmetic or a substance having a medical oran antiseptic effect that must not be touched by the fingers when it isdeployed.

The invention provides single-use packaging for a liquid, semiliquid, orpowder substance, the packaging comprising a protective cover comprisingtwo separable leakproof pieces of material and an applicator enclosed insaid protective cover, the packaging being characterized in that saidapplicator is fixed to the inside face of one of said parts, in that itcomprises a portion of fiber, sponge, or analogous structure, and inthat said substance is distributed in said structure.

The first advantage that results from this novel structure is that oncethe protective cover has been opened it itself facilitates application,and there is no risk of the user covering the fingers in the substancein question.

For example, the applicator may comprise a piece of flexible and porousmaterial fixed via its periphery to said inside face. This piece ofporous material may typically be material of the non-woven type. Toincrease the quantity of substance that can be retained in the structureof the applicator, a piece of cotton wool or the like may providedcontaining the substance and housed between said piece of flexible andporous material and said inside face.

In a presently preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned cover is madeof two flexible and leakproof parts, typically obtained from sheets oflaminated-together plastics and metal materials. The two parts areunited by a close-outline junction line surrounding the location of theapplicator. Consequently, when the packaging is offered to the user, theapplicator is fully enclosed inside the leaktight protective cover.

According to another advantageous characteristic, when the above-definedpackaging contains a dose of disinfectant or treatment substance forapplication to a wound or to a burn, the package is associated with anadhesive dressing. More precisely, a peel-off cover containing saidadhesive dressing is fixed via one of its faces to an outside face ofthe protective cover. Consequently, after applying the substance, theuser does not need to search through other equipment to find an adhesivedressing for protecting a wound, since the dressing is available on thepackaging itself. In order to ensure that the dressing can be appliedvery easily, and possibly with one hand only, the outside face of saiddressing is weakly secured to the inside face of the portion of thepeel-off cover that is not fixed to the protective cover. That type ofdressing is known in itself and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,689,but the fact of making it available on the packaging makes it easier touse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention appears more clearly in the light of the followingdescription of a presently preferred embodiment of single-use packagingapplying the principle of the invention, given purely by way of exampleand made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of packaging in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the underside of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view on III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the packaging once open, ready for use;

FIG. 5 shows an applicator being implemented on a wound; and

FIGS. 6 to 8 show the use of an adhesive dressing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The single-use packaging 11 as made available to the user is externallyin the form of a cover 12 referred to herein as a “protective cover”made up of two separable parts of leakproof material 13, 14. When usedfor applying a disinfectant substance or the like, said protective covercarries another cover 18 on one of its faces, which other cover can bepeeled off and retains an adhesive dressing 19. The features of thispeel-off cover and of the dressing are described below. This is merelyan option and does not mean that when the substance contained in thepackaging is for treating a wound or a burn it must necessarilysubsequently be protected by said dressing.

The cover 12 contains an applicator 24 which is fixed to the inside face25 of one of the two parts of leakproof material. The applicatorincludes a portion of fiber, sponge, or similar structure and thetreatment substance is distributed within said structure.

In the example shown, the applicator 24 comprises a piece of flexibleand porous material 28 having its periphery fixed to the inside face 25.This piece 28 is taken from a sheet of non-woven type materialpresenting all of the qualities needed for applying the substance.Preferably, the non-woven material is based on cotton, of the flufflesstype. In the example shown, a piece of cotton wool 32 or the like alsocontaining the substance is housed between said piece of flexible andporous material 28 and said inside face 25.

In the embodiment descried specifically, the applicator forms a pouchholding captive the piece of cotton wool or the like. The pouchcomprises another piece of flexible material 26 having its peripheryfixed both to said inside face and to said piece of flexible and porousmaterial 28. The two parts which in this case are identical in shape andsize are united by a close-outline peripheral junction line 30. Theyhold the piece of cotton wool captive between them. The two partsforming the walls of the pouch are united and the pouch is bonded to theinside face 25 of the part 13 by melting their materials by applying ahot tool having the shape of the junction line 30.

The two parts 13, 14 of flexible and leakproof material are also bondedto each other by a close-outline junction line 35 surrounding thelocation of the pouch. In order to facilitate application of thesubstance, the surface area of each part 13, 14 of the protective coveris significantly greater than that of the applicator 24 which is securedsubstantially in the center of the area defined by the junction line 35.The junction line 35 thus surrounds an area that is significantlygreater than that occupied by the applicator. The junction line 35 is aline of weak adhesive or heat-sealing enabling the two parts 13 and 14to be separated, i.e. they are suitable for peeling apart. Thus, certainlaminates of metallized plastics material are designed specifically tobe peelable-apart in this way.

By way of example, the part 13 to which the applicator is fixed can bemade from a laminate comprising a 12 micrometer (μm) thick layer ofpolyethylene, a layer of metallization, and another layer ofpolyethylene (PE) that is 80 μm thick, thus enabling the parts to bepeeled apart. The other part constituting the protective cover can bemade from another, similar laminate. At least one of the two surfacespressed one against the other is treated so as to make peeling apartpossible after the close-outline junction line 35 has been made byapplying a hot tool of corresponding shape against the two parts ofleakproof material, and after the applicator has been fixed to one ofthem.

As shown, a fraction of the length of the junction line 35 extends at adistance from the facing edges of said two parts of flexible material13, 14, thereby defining two pull tabs 36, 37 enabling said two parts tobe separated. After being included in the protective cover, theapplicator 24 is subjected to sterilization treatment by gamma rays.

The substance permanently wets the piece of cotton wool and the piece ofporous material 28 inside the protective cover. To apply the substance,it suffices to open the protective cover 12 on at least three of itssides. The open cover makes it easier to handle the applicator 24 andmakes it easier to use the substance available in the structure of theapplicator (see FIG. 5).

The peel-off cover 18 containing the adhesive dressing 19 is fixed viaone of its face on an outside face of the protective cover 12. Theinside portion 39 of the peel-off cover 18 which is fixed to the outsidesurface of the protective cover presents resistance to being torn offthan is considerably greater than the force needed to open the peel-offcover. Consequently, the inside portion of the peel-off cover remainsattached to said protective cover when the peel-off cover is opened totake hold of the dressing (see FIG. 6). However, the outside face of thedressing is weakly fixed (e.g. by moderate adhesive) to the inside faceof the outside portion 40 of the peel-off cover which is not fixed tothe protective cover. Consequently, when the peel-off cover is opened,the dressing 19 remains fixed to the portion 40 which is being pulled.Once the adhesive portions have been separated, the dressing can beapplied (FIG. 7) by manipulating the detached portion of said peel-offcover, without any risk of touching the sterile zone. However, onceapplied to the skin, the adhesive zones of the dressing stick to theskin sufficiently strongly (FIG. 8) so that when the portion 40 of thepeel-off cover is pulled away it becomes detached from the dressing. Thesterilization treatment can be applied after the peel-off covercontaining the dressing has been fixed to said protective covercontaining the pouch.

1. Single-use packaging for a liquid, semiliquid, or powder substance,the packaging comprising: a protective cover including two separableleakproof pieces of material, and an applicator enclosed in saidprotective cover, said applicator being fixed to an inside face of oneof said leakproof pieces of material, said applicator forming a pouchholding captive material in which the substance is distributed, saidpouch comprising: a piece of flexible and porous material fixed to saidinside face, another piece of flexible material fixed at a peripherythereof both to said inside face and to said piece of flexible andporous material, and a material including cotton wool in which saidsubstance is distributed, the material in which the substance isdistributed being housed between said piece of flexible and porousmaterial and said other piece of flexible material.
 2. Packagingaccording to claim 1, wherein said leakproof pieces of said protectivecover are flexible and are bonded together by a close-outline junctionline surrounding a location of said applicator.
 3. Packaging accordingto claim 2, wherein said junction line surrounds an area that issignificantly greater than that occupied by said applicator, theapplicator being situated substantially in the center of a surfacedefined by said junction line.
 4. Packaging according to claim 2,wherein said junction line is one of: a line of low-strength adhesiveand heat-sealing, enabling the two pieces of leakproof material to beseparated by a “peel”effect.
 5. Packaging according to claim 2, whereinsaid junction line extends over a fraction of a length thereof at adistance from facing edges of said two pieces of leakproof material soas to define pull tabs, enabling said two pieces to be separated. 6.Packaging according to claim 1, further comprising a peel-off covercontaining an adhesive dressing, said peel-off cover having one facethereof fixed to an outside face of said protective cover.
 7. Packagingaccording to claim 6, wherein an outside face of said dressing is weaklysecured to an inside face of a portion of the peel-off cover which isnot fixed to the protective cover.
 8. Packaging according to claim 1,wherein the applicator is formed by at least one of: a fiber, a sponge,and a non-woven material.